Eilish McColgan named BT Sport’s Action Woman of the Year after Commonwealth Games glory

The Scottish runner broke her mother’s record while winning 10,000m gold at the Commonwealth Games this summer

Eilish McColgan was named BT Sport’s Action Woman of the Year on Wednesday, capping off a hugely successful year for the Scottish runner.

McColgan claimed gold in the 10,000 metres at this summer’s Commonwealth Games in Birmingham, putting in a Commonwealth record time of 30:48:60. In doing so, the 31-year-old not only won her first major title but also broke her mother’s record, which was set in 1991, just months after Eilish’s birth.

The Scot also won Commonwealth silver in the 5,000m, before claiming silver and bronze at the European Championships in Munich.

BT Sport’s Action Woman of the Year award is determined by fan votes, with McColgan having seen off competition from five other nominees.

Among the other nominees were footballer Beth Mead, who won the Golden Boot and was named Player of the Tournament as England won this summer’s Women’s Euros, and the recently retired Eve Muirhead, who guided Britain to curling gold at the Winter Olympics.

Also nominated were: Paralympic legend Hannah Cockroft, who won wheelchair-racing gold at the Commonwealth Games with a record time; mixed martial artist Molly McCann, who scored stunning back-to-back knockouts across March and July’s UFC London events; and teenage diving star Andrea Spendolini-Sirieix, who claimed three medals including two golds at the Commonwealth Games after securing bronze at the World Championships.

Meanwhile, the England Women’s football team were named Team of the Year, after the Lionesses claimed their first ever major trophy by winning the European Championship on home soil this summer.

Also at the award ceremony in London, former Grand Slam tennis champion Sue Barker CBE received a Lifetime Achievement Award for her contributions to the sport as well as broadcasting in Britain. Barker, 66, has led BBC coverage of Wimbledon, the Olympics and Winter Olympics, the Grand National and more over the last 30 years.